Like RF’s search for a marriageable Sabra, the quest for the perfect holster never seems to end. Because it doesn’t. Even if you’re the proverbial man with one gun (causing wariness amongst the wary) you need different rigs for different situations. And whether you own a single heater or a safe full of ballistic baubles, the go-anywhere gun guy can no more resist the lure of a new carry system than he can his forgo his hourly dose of TTAG. And just when you thought your holster drawer looked fuller than Adam Richman at an all-you-can-eat gourmet buffet, there’s a new option: Sticky Holsters . . .

Regular readers and concealed carry cognoscenti will immediately see that Sticky’s stuff looks mighty familiar. Remora makes similar no-clip, no-slip, slip-in holsters. Our man Finn loves ‘em. Ralph is also a big fan (in every sense of the word); he’s ready to rock and roll with Ramora when he’s on his bike or quaffing [non-alcoholic] beers with the boss (who was almost banned from Ralph’s local).

In fact Mike Christoff, Sticky’s owner and the brains behind their designs, is a Remora alum. To hear him tell it, he had a better idea for a tackier (in a good way) holster. When Remora nixed his idea, he struck out on his own.

Mike took a slightly different tack (so to speak) with his Sticky designs. He went with a lighter weight, thinner, floppier design. No problem there, per se. In fact, Sticky’s thinner design make them skinnier and lighter than Remora’s products. Where Remora offers two models — one with a soft top and one that’s reinforced (read: stays open) for re-holstering — Sticky’s products are all non-reinforced. More on that in mo’ . . .

I own two Remoras: one for a Kel Tec P3AT fitted with a Crimson Trace Laserguard and one for a Kahr CW9. So I’ve compared carrying both guns in each holster design. The Sticky holsters stay in place more comfortably and effectively over a full day of IWB (Inside-the-WaistBand) carry, even with something as humongous as a full-size 1911. I occasionally catch myself pushing a Remora back down. That just doesn’t happen with a Sticky.

You can slip a Sticky in the elastic waistband of a pair of gym shorts or sweatpants; no belt required. Assuming your gun isn’t too Proustian (i.e. heavy) that’s that for your gat. And unlike a federal program’s budget, the gun stays right where you put it. Stickys are light and conform nicely to your gun’s shape. They’re not as comfortable to wear as a pair of old slippers but they’re not far off, either.

Once you draw your gun out of a Sticky, though, you can’t re-holster it one-handed. In fact, Sticky “strongly recommends” you re-holster using your off hand to remove the holster, slip your gun back into the Sticky and then re-insert the freshly holstered gun back in your pants. This is how they do it (to it):

If you have a free hand, that works just fine. Just don’t laser your digits like the guy in the video. If you like to carry your gun in the 3:00 to 4:00 position, OFWGs and those not practicing yoga will have a tough time removing a Sticky with their off hand. And no matter where you carry, if your other hand is otherwise occupied or incapacitated, you’re SOL — unless you use your pocket, set your gun down or go south of the border.

To paraphrase our flight attendant friends, in the unlikely event that you ever have to use your gun in a self-defense situation, once you’ve determined there’s no longer a threat, you’ll want to return your tray tables to their original, upright and locked position and re-holster that baby. You really don’t want to be standing there with a gun (or some other appendage) in your hand when a black-and-white arrives on the scene.

As Edward Lewis told Vivian Ward, you’ll either love the Sticky or you’ll hate it. If you love it, you’ll always love it. If you don’t, you’ll banish it to your sock drawer. So as long as you understand that the Sticky loves your gun right until it hates it, the holster’s a useful addition to our modern lifestyle. Home carry in sweatpants? All day long. Well, hopefully not literally. Some of us do have a life (allegedly).

SPECIFICATIONS:

Size: 17 of them, fitting just about any pistol out thereWeight: less than 3 oz.Design: ambidextrousPrice: $24.95

RATINGS (out of five stars):

Comfort: * * * * *
Other than some non-holster thingies (think Versacarry or Clipdraw) the Sticky’s the most comfortable IWB holster design in the history of the world, ever.

Ergonomics * * *
For carry and draw, great. You can vary the carry height and cant (within reason) and it stays put. The three-layer design has a nice, slick interior so drawing your gun (even while pressed snugly between your hip bone and your belt) is no prob. Re-holstering is ridiculous.

Overall * * * 1/2
Sticky Holsters are a well-designed, affordable carry option for people who don’t mind dropping their gun—and I mean dropping it—when the heat make the scene.

40 Responses to Gear Review: Sticky Holsters

You’ve just been involved in a dgu. The cops are approaching, you’ve got the shakes and you’re trying not to puke. I don’t care what kind of holster you use, the best way to present a non threat to the cops at that moment is to place your weapon on the ground at your feet and put both hands in the air. Don’t worry about marring the finish on your gun, it’s going to evidence and who knows if you’ll ever get it back.

But yeah, sticky holsters look interesting. And they don’t cost a fortune. Have to look into one for my Mak.

I own 3 sticky holsters in various sizes and will never carry them due to reholstering issues.

I can certainly think of several scenarios where an immediate, and quick reholstering is necessary and that is impossible with the sticky holsters.

Holstering with the sticky holsters is not as easy as shown in the vids.
– your support hand may not be available, it may be injured or busy doing something else like controlling a child
– getting the holster out of the pants is pretty easy, but putting it back in is not as easy as it shows if your belt is properly tensioned. I always have to loosen my belt to reinsert the holster.

Sticky offers a holster with a small reinforcement to hold the mouth open, but it is not strong enough and does not work well all the time.

I like the concept, but will not carry them until such time as there is sufficient reinforment to keep the holster open for reholstering

The Sticky Holster intrigued me. I even bought two to try them. They’re a nice idea, AND the models I bought actually fit a couple of my guns just fine… BUT… a couple of days ago, my small Bersa 22 cal pistol (model 223 DA) AND the Sticky Holster slid right out my pant leg onto the floor IN PUBLIC!!!! BAD! BAD! BAD!

I had been test-wearing that configuration together, Bersa & MD3 Sticky, since I received the holsters. Everything seemed fine until it took me off guard as I did a
1/2 turn. What a surprise to feel them BOTH slip down inside my pants, from my beltline and down my leg!! NOT good… I cannot afford to have that ever happen again. Thank God that no one noticed!!!!!!!

Okay you might be right in some situations but truly 99% of the time using the off hand to help re-holster is not a problem. We have plenty of other problems with concealed carry and firearm use other than re-holstering.

I wear a remora and have no complaints other than feeling like it is occasionally sliding out if I’m not wearing a belt. To clarify, it isn’t sliding out, it just feels that way. And after it warms up to my body temperature the grip is incredible and easy to draw ad reholster.

I have 3remoras – 2 reinforced and one not. I don’t carry the non-reinforced for the same reason I decide AGAINST the sticky at the NRA convention. I don’t want to have to use 2 hands to reholster. My reinforced remoras are awesome, and although I bought one for a Sig P238 and one for a Glock 26, the Glock one works just as well with my S&W 3953 (single stack 9mm) I just acquired. Alan @ Remora is a genius and I have steered many people to him. I plan on getting a few more for some other guns I intend to purchase at bonus time.

You don’t need a belt, I use one while wearing elastic waste band shorts and it never slips. As far as reholstering how many times have you ever drawn your gun in a real life situation. The most important thing is having a holster that stays in place, is comfortable enough that you will ALWAYS carry your gun. If you ever have to use it just set it down or stick in your waist band for the time being. When the police show up they are going to take it anyway.

I have a remora for my G26 and it works great when I wear a belt. But it has fallen out before while I was home carrying in the 4 o’clock position and wearing basketball shorts with a draw string. And it from me just walking around.

So I am very wary of using the Remora with just a draw string rather than a belt.

I’ve had numerous itw holsters and have been using #8r Remora for my SP101. Although comfortable, I always felt like it was creeping up and rising on me. I ran into Sticky holster in St. Louis and picked up a LG-4. After 2 weeks of daily comparison between the two I settled on the Sticky Holster. It was more comfortable on direct skin and stayed in place with a variety of clothing. Didn’t feel that creeping and popping up feel I had with Remora. I didn’t carry in my gym shorts as article stated but I did without belt with my daily uniform Red Kap work pant and it stayed right there. A cop buddy who was with me purchased the Sticky ankle system and said it was the best he has ever used. I plan on purchasing at next gun show.

I carry my G23C all day at work with my shirt tucked in. As long as I let my shirt hang a little loose, there is no printing, and it has NEVER tried to fall. It is a bit awkward to get out of the tucked shirt, but it’s still a lot better than not carrying.

Just purchased two sticky IWB holsters…one for my LC9 and one for my LCP….they are to me by far the best IWB holsters I have every come across…the only other hoster I have is a outside the belt Mitch Rosen leather custom fitted to the LC9 (for winter time cc)……

I put my Glock 26 in a Sticky holster and wedge it between the seat and the console in my car. I can draw the pistol and be confident that the holster wont come with it, then simply remove it when I get home and take it in the house. None of the dedicated car holsters put the pistol where I wanted it to be, and using the Sticky holster works perfectly for me. I can put it right beside the shifter so my hard is already where it needs to be to draw the weapon. Try it if youre looking for a cheap way to carry in the car.

I bought a sticky for my Taurus PT145 .45 auto (size LG-6S, not LG-2). What a great product! Perfect fit. Put the holstered gun anywhere in the wasteband without hassling with the belt. Easily draws out without any slip of the holster in the pants at all. The Taurus is a short fat pistol so this holster gives it the lowest possible concealed carry profile of any holster. When you’re ready to re-holster, just pull it out, slip the gun back in, and stuff it back in the wasteband. Great price. Light-speed delivery. 5+ stars.

Thanks for your comment. I own a PT145 and a PT140 (among others). I was curious if the Sticky would work with these. I already ordered one for my LCP. I might go ahead and order one for my Taurus weapons as well.

Remoras are known for causing a rash if worn in the summer without an undershirt. Does this also happen with the Sticky? Also Remoras have inner linings such as leather. What is the lining in the Sticky? Remoras have a full sweat shield version. I don’t see that option for the Sticky.

The Sticky holster is great for extremely hot and humid weather carry of small guns and light weight guns. It is difficult to dress around the gun in those conditions. The Sticky can be used for IWB or pocket carry depending on the clothing which for comfort is minimum. My personal favorite is a light weight .38 snubbie in a Sticky holster and a couple of speed strips of extra ammo in another pocket. It is very comfortable and easy to conceal.

I own 4 Sticky holsters for everything from a S&W M&P 40c to a Beretta PX4 Storm full size. There have been more times than not when I have pretty much forgotten my sidearm was in place as the Sticky is really that comfortable. I own a (one) Remora for my Beretta PX4 Storm subcompact and have yet to carry it more than one full day. The Remora is stiff, feels like it creeps up and is just not as comfortable overall. (keeping in mind that comfort is NOT the deciding factor in CCW) It is nice that you can achieve comfort while you carry. As for a re-holster? Yes, one hand simply not possible 99.9% of the time with a Sticky…but I have perfected the “two finger un-pinch” pretty quickly while the holster is still in the waistband. *(with some extra “concealment matter”, ie: a slight middle-age fat roll, the Sticky is almost 100% invisible.

Thank you for this review. I have spent the last few hours trying to decide between the Remora and the Sticky for my Ruger LCP. I just ordered the Sticky, and if I like it, I will definitely order more for my larger caliber weapons.

I bought a Sticky holster for a SW Model 60. I’m not impressed. My pristine model 60 has hit the ground twice by coming down my leg while wearing shorts. I’ll return it and keep using my IWB clip on. Overall I say it over priced junk.

Here’s the deal: about a month after opening our store, one of our sales reps (the largest, in fact), recommended we try Sticky Holsters. I reluctantly contacted Sticky (as we had little funds and had already committed to many other big brands), and could not be happier with this discovery. Regardless of the level of customer service we’ve received (directly from Mike, might I add), please allow me to elaborate on overall function and quality.

I placed my Glock 19 in one of the “demo” units that arrived, and I was hooked. I haven’t placed that gun in ANY OTHER holster since having received it. It protects the firearm, allows for easy employment in both concealed and semi-concealed configuration.

I’ve used a ton of higher priced holsters. The Sticky a) stays put, b) properly retains the weapon & c) is more cost effective than alternatives.

So what if you need to reholster with your reaction hand and replace the weapon? I love the Sticky products!

Great review; great comments! I’ve been carrying my Kimber Ultra Carry CDP Elite II in a Sticky for about 8 months now. I like the fact that I can move it to whatever position is comfortable (typically at about 4:30 with a slight cant).

There are a few points I’d like to make:

1) The rig has NEVER dropped. Sometimes, after several hours of carrying, it may have shifted slightly, but it’s easy to readjust.

2) The rig is so comfortable that I frequently forget that I am carrying. My office has a strict no-firearms policy, and on many occasions I’ve gotten to my desk before realizing that I forgot to leave my weapon in the car. Good thing it’s so concealable – nobody has noticed that I’m carrying.

3) I have practiced drawing and reholstering, and I’m generally able to reholster in place by nuzzling the muzzle back into the holster (with proper care, of course!); the tighter the pants, the harder this is.

4) I’ve carried the rig with sweatpants on a few occasions, with good results, but I’m not too comfortable doing that. The rig definitely favors a tighter fit than I like with sweatpants.

5) At my daughter’s wedding, I carried the rig under my tucked dress shirt (with no cover / jacket), and it was completely invisible! Even my gun-nut son (who is teaching me “the trade” had no clue I was carrying, and couldn’t spot the gun, even after I told him that I was carrying. He had to pat me down to find the rig!

I’m not a big fan of the single-mag pouch; it’s definitely more bulky than I’d prefer, and really tightens my pants. It’s better when looping it over the belt. I’m still working on the best solution for this setup.

Having survived one real world DGU and been through the ringer with the legal system afterward (eventually and politely cleared of any possibility of charges), I can say that *for me* reholstering ‘1 handed’ is the absolutely last thing I worry about in a CCW holster. I’m not a duty cop that may have to pull/reholster several times a day – if I draw it’s because someone really needs shooting right now, right here. By the time the cops do arrive, I will have had plenty of time to reload and/or get on the phone with the 911 operator. Otherwise I will simply put the weapon on the ground and stand right there with my hands visible (and cellphone in hand). Those that say ‘having a gun in hand when the cops arrive is a bad thing’ have not considered that when the cops arrive and DONT see who did the shooting, they are even more twitchy. You will immediately be relieved of your firearms (including any backups you didn’t draw) and almost certainly handcuffed at the scene – simply for the sake of the officer’s safety. Been there, done that, even though the officers were 99% certain it was a cut-and-dried case of self defense inside my home.

Having seen several good reviews for the Sticky, including this one, I’m going to invest in a couple to try them out. I do own a Remora for an LCP, but it never felt secure enough for me to continue to use it.

to me this is the perfect pocket carry option or ankle carry option (Sticky sells an anklebiter rig for this holster) for a B.U.G. I carry a S&W 642 .38 special as my BUG and in the front pocket or ankle weak side this holster will do just fine, as it’s not my primary. I would give this a go. You have to remember what applications this is designed for. I carry my Glock 27 at the 4 with a Cook’s Holsters IWB kydex holster.